Be kind and don’t forget to Rewind – First to Ten exclusive with EVO Champ Noble | Rewind

Evolution is notably the largest FGC event that happens still to date. People from all over the world come in hopes of becoming the next EVO champ for the game they support and play. It’s always a remarkable show to see out of the high numbers that usually enter there who comes out on top. Unfortunately this year, NRS numbers were low at EVO but still had a decent amount of killers throughout the pools there. We saw quite a few new faces rise up, one of my favorites being a player named HeroKillerStain. He’s a Cyborg main who made it all the way to 9th place, only losing shy to the legendary Biohazard.

But alas, top 8 for Injustice 2 came along and we had a great top 8 with some of the most diversity we’ve seen in the games life. One point worth bringing up was Big D making Evo Top 8 again but with a character nobody thought they’d see, Poison Ivy. We also had 4 newcomers to EVO top 8 being Sylverye, Biohazard, Tweedy, and Rewind. It was an exceptional display of the talent NRS has to show. We ended up seeing Rewind take it all in the end.

Rewind is a younger player in the scene sponsered by Noble. He always seems to be a positive person when I’ve interacted and he knows the majority of the cast as well so he is quite the person to face in tournament. From his main characters to the ones he can use as a counterpick, he always keeps you guessing. Now in top 8 we saw him win though with his Catwoman. It was quite a display and everyone cheered while a shocked Rewind stood there with no pop off just looking content.

Rewind competing at KIT 2018. Photo by Chris Bahn Chrisbahn.com

Well, it’s no surprise he is our guest for this newest interview. So let’s get to it!

1. Thank you for being a part of First to Ten. Please as tradition, let everyone know a little bit about who you are and where you are from?

Thank you for having me. My name is Curtis, or Rewind as everyone knows me by. I am from Las Vegas, NV. I am also a 17 year old kid in his senior year of high school.

2. When did you decide to take fighting games seriously? What game was your first one?

My first fighting game I ever touched was Tekken 3. I was 4 or 5 years old when my uncles were playing and let me play. I decided to take fighting games more serious in MKX. In that game I decided to enter my first offline tournament which was EVO 2016. I got 25th place which I thought was pretty good. I actually didn’t start traveling until late Aug 2017 into early 2018 for Injustice 2.

3. How much time do you put in when training for tournaments? Do you ever struggle with distractions?

I train like 2-3 hours a day with my training partners Semiij & Sonic. I can’t play too long or else I get burnt out on the game at which that point I go autopilot and don’t learn much. My only real distraction would have to be watching my 2 year old sister everyday.

4. Has schooling ever gotten in the way of your competitive gaming path? How did you balance the two?

Luckily my school doesn’t give homework much at all so when I get home. I just hit the power button on my PS4 and hop online.

5. Winning EVO is huge, congrats btw – what kind of feelings did you go through during this years EVO competition and how do you feel after winning?

I felt super stressed going into EVO. Before EVO, I wasn’t solidified for the IPS finals (which is like the Capcom Cup of Injustice 2). I knew if I didn’t do well at EVO, I had to do well at SCR, which is the last event to obtain points from. If I did well at EVO, I had some breathing room for SCR. After I won, I was relieved. A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders and I am now solidified for the IPS finals.

Rewind’s win at EVO holding his trophy. Photo by Robert Paul @TempusRob

6. What kind of advice do you have to people looking to get into competing?

Anyone who wants to compete should do it because you meet lots of great people you may recognize from online. Also now a days, the money in tournaments is life changing. Studying footage and staying on a consistent grind will help anyone prevail in the tournament scene.

7. Do you feel being sponsored is important and how has your sponsor helped you on your journey?

Being a sponsored player helps a TON. If I wasn’t sponsored, I wouldn’t be able to afford to travel at all. Simple. My sponsor NOBLE has helped me go to tournaments I would never be able to go to on my own. They picked me up as an ONLINE WARRIOR which many teams will not do. No results were behind my name. They also make sure I have a roof over my head with hotel. Flight/Hotel/Reg costs are no joke. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to showcase my skill offline.

Photo from Rewind’s twitter of his Noble team jerseys.

8. Do you have specific training partners? How do you manage to beat them when it comes time to face them in tournament if that arises?

My main 2 training partners are my long time friend and teammate Semiij & my good friend SonicFox. Beating them is mad hard because they know me so well, but that goes both ways. Sonic has been my demon at the last 3 tournaments, beating me 3-2 in them all. Beating him at EVO was such a “finally” kind of moment. Facing against Semiij has been a TASK the whole life of the game. We have always traded wins over each other the whole life of the game but I have had the edge recently.

9. Do you play any other games outside of fighting games or have any hobbies that mean a lot to you? Please describe them to us.

I play Minecraft from time to time. Call of Duty is also fun with the homies. I love deep story mode games like The Last of Us & Detroit: Become Human. Gaming has always been my favorite personal hobby but basketball was a previous passion before. I played basketball for my school from 8th grade up until 11th grade

10. What is your favorite thing about the NRS community and what is one way you think we can continue to grow and improve it?

My favorite thing about the NRS community is that it feels like a second family. When we all gather at tournaments and see each other, it feels like a family reunion. I’m all about family. A way that we can grow is by streaming and having more of a social media presence. We should continue to help other players improve. Giving games to anybody is key. Makes players feel welcomed.